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My final appointment for the day was very late, with only 10 minutes left in the session. I was closing my office door when my patient, a middle-aged woman, rushed up and said: “I am sorry to be so late, but traffic was terrible. I am out of my meds. Will you still see me?” I agreed. She was touched and thanked me.
As she sat down, still breathless, she said: “I have had a lot on my mind. After we work out the meds, could we please talk about them? One thing is the climate problem, but there is really no point in worrying about something you cannot do anything about.”
I refilled her meds, then I responded to her offhand comment about climate by saying, “I, too, have been concerned about climate change. Tell me your concerns.” She opened up and, to my surprise, burst into tears, saying, “how terrible it is, what we’re doing to the earth, and how bad it will be for those to come. How could we leave the earth in such a mess?” She was clearly grieving. I agreed and said: “There is a lot to be done, and we can do many things to help. Have you heard about the Green New Deal?” We talked about this for a few minutes, and she was very interested.
At first, she disavowed the problem, saying that, while it bothered her, nothing could be done about it, so why talk about it? Disavowal is a common defense that shields us from our real feelings about disturbing problems. Once I invited her to talk about it, she opened up with grief and near paralyzing sadness. This was my opportunity to let her know that there is a realistic plan for dealing with climate change. If she were to get politically active or involved with like-minded groups, hope could be possible. (As young Greta Thunberg, the Swedish youth climate action leader, teaches us, “Where there is no action, there is no hope, but where there is action, hope is everywhere.”)
So, what does a psychiatrist need to know about the Green New Deal?
It is essentially a broad legislative conceptual agenda with wide-ranging implications. The resolution has growing support in Congress. Its scope has been compared to the 1960s moon landing or the New Deal that helped this nation come out of the Great Depression. The primary goal is to bring the United States to 100% sustainable clean energy by 2030. It also proposes to help those most vulnerable to the stresses of climate change, such as “indigenous communities, communities of color, migrant communities, deinstitutionalized communities, depopulated communities, the poor, lower income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth.” Our patient population reflects many of those cohorts and will likely be helped directly by this ambitious agenda.
Specifically, the Green New Deal would transition the United States from fossil fuel dependence to clean energy sources, such as solar and wind power, upgrade the power grid, refurbish and retrofit buildings to become sustainable and energy efficient, overhaul transportation systems, and promote the transition to electric vehicles and high-speed rail. This transition of the infrastructure and economy will, in turn, create millions of good jobs, including meaningful and rewarding work for workers and communities transitioning away from fossil fuel industry–related activities.
The Green New Deal is intended to address the reality and risks of climate change. The World Health Organization has deemed climate change the greatest public health threat of the 21st century. Consider the following ominous developments:
The current atmospheric CO2 level is 415 parts per million and rising, an increase from preindustrial levels of 278 ppm. Earthworms have now expanded their territory to include boreal forests near the Arctic, munching the foot-thick organic forest floor, potentially releasing much more CO2. Permafrost is melting near the Arctic, as is sea ice, reducing the amount of solar radiation reflected back to space. Perversely and ironically, the loss of sea ice is touted by some climate deniers as an opportunity for expanded oil and gas exploration in the Arctic.
Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and duration. Record-setting hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, heat waves, and wildfires are becoming the “new normal,” except for the fact that they are expected to continue worsening.
If the United States continues business as usual without addressing our climate trajectory, there will be dire consequences for all future generations. Without serious efforts to combat global warming, a 4- to 5-degree Celsius increase by the end of the century is likely. This would be catastrophic, leading to the collapse of the ice sheets, massive coastal inundation, unrelenting heat waves, wildfires beyond imagination, severe droughts, starvation, immense storms, and vast areas of the earth becoming uninhabitable.
It is time for the United States to join the rest of the world in dealing with global warming. The nations of the earth need to unite for the common good and to save our planet. The Green New Deal would represent a major step in that direction and would certainly help our patients to have more meaningful, hopeful, and healthier lives.
Dr. Peterson is assistant clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at Georgetown University in Washington. He is an active member of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance and the Caucus on Climate Change and Mental Health at the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Peterson changed key facts about the patient’s story to protect her confidentiality.
My final appointment for the day was very late, with only 10 minutes left in the session. I was closing my office door when my patient, a middle-aged woman, rushed up and said: “I am sorry to be so late, but traffic was terrible. I am out of my meds. Will you still see me?” I agreed. She was touched and thanked me.
As she sat down, still breathless, she said: “I have had a lot on my mind. After we work out the meds, could we please talk about them? One thing is the climate problem, but there is really no point in worrying about something you cannot do anything about.”
I refilled her meds, then I responded to her offhand comment about climate by saying, “I, too, have been concerned about climate change. Tell me your concerns.” She opened up and, to my surprise, burst into tears, saying, “how terrible it is, what we’re doing to the earth, and how bad it will be for those to come. How could we leave the earth in such a mess?” She was clearly grieving. I agreed and said: “There is a lot to be done, and we can do many things to help. Have you heard about the Green New Deal?” We talked about this for a few minutes, and she was very interested.
At first, she disavowed the problem, saying that, while it bothered her, nothing could be done about it, so why talk about it? Disavowal is a common defense that shields us from our real feelings about disturbing problems. Once I invited her to talk about it, she opened up with grief and near paralyzing sadness. This was my opportunity to let her know that there is a realistic plan for dealing with climate change. If she were to get politically active or involved with like-minded groups, hope could be possible. (As young Greta Thunberg, the Swedish youth climate action leader, teaches us, “Where there is no action, there is no hope, but where there is action, hope is everywhere.”)
So, what does a psychiatrist need to know about the Green New Deal?
It is essentially a broad legislative conceptual agenda with wide-ranging implications. The resolution has growing support in Congress. Its scope has been compared to the 1960s moon landing or the New Deal that helped this nation come out of the Great Depression. The primary goal is to bring the United States to 100% sustainable clean energy by 2030. It also proposes to help those most vulnerable to the stresses of climate change, such as “indigenous communities, communities of color, migrant communities, deinstitutionalized communities, depopulated communities, the poor, lower income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth.” Our patient population reflects many of those cohorts and will likely be helped directly by this ambitious agenda.
Specifically, the Green New Deal would transition the United States from fossil fuel dependence to clean energy sources, such as solar and wind power, upgrade the power grid, refurbish and retrofit buildings to become sustainable and energy efficient, overhaul transportation systems, and promote the transition to electric vehicles and high-speed rail. This transition of the infrastructure and economy will, in turn, create millions of good jobs, including meaningful and rewarding work for workers and communities transitioning away from fossil fuel industry–related activities.
The Green New Deal is intended to address the reality and risks of climate change. The World Health Organization has deemed climate change the greatest public health threat of the 21st century. Consider the following ominous developments:
The current atmospheric CO2 level is 415 parts per million and rising, an increase from preindustrial levels of 278 ppm. Earthworms have now expanded their territory to include boreal forests near the Arctic, munching the foot-thick organic forest floor, potentially releasing much more CO2. Permafrost is melting near the Arctic, as is sea ice, reducing the amount of solar radiation reflected back to space. Perversely and ironically, the loss of sea ice is touted by some climate deniers as an opportunity for expanded oil and gas exploration in the Arctic.
Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and duration. Record-setting hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, heat waves, and wildfires are becoming the “new normal,” except for the fact that they are expected to continue worsening.
If the United States continues business as usual without addressing our climate trajectory, there will be dire consequences for all future generations. Without serious efforts to combat global warming, a 4- to 5-degree Celsius increase by the end of the century is likely. This would be catastrophic, leading to the collapse of the ice sheets, massive coastal inundation, unrelenting heat waves, wildfires beyond imagination, severe droughts, starvation, immense storms, and vast areas of the earth becoming uninhabitable.
It is time for the United States to join the rest of the world in dealing with global warming. The nations of the earth need to unite for the common good and to save our planet. The Green New Deal would represent a major step in that direction and would certainly help our patients to have more meaningful, hopeful, and healthier lives.
Dr. Peterson is assistant clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at Georgetown University in Washington. He is an active member of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance and the Caucus on Climate Change and Mental Health at the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Peterson changed key facts about the patient’s story to protect her confidentiality.
My final appointment for the day was very late, with only 10 minutes left in the session. I was closing my office door when my patient, a middle-aged woman, rushed up and said: “I am sorry to be so late, but traffic was terrible. I am out of my meds. Will you still see me?” I agreed. She was touched and thanked me.
As she sat down, still breathless, she said: “I have had a lot on my mind. After we work out the meds, could we please talk about them? One thing is the climate problem, but there is really no point in worrying about something you cannot do anything about.”
I refilled her meds, then I responded to her offhand comment about climate by saying, “I, too, have been concerned about climate change. Tell me your concerns.” She opened up and, to my surprise, burst into tears, saying, “how terrible it is, what we’re doing to the earth, and how bad it will be for those to come. How could we leave the earth in such a mess?” She was clearly grieving. I agreed and said: “There is a lot to be done, and we can do many things to help. Have you heard about the Green New Deal?” We talked about this for a few minutes, and she was very interested.
At first, she disavowed the problem, saying that, while it bothered her, nothing could be done about it, so why talk about it? Disavowal is a common defense that shields us from our real feelings about disturbing problems. Once I invited her to talk about it, she opened up with grief and near paralyzing sadness. This was my opportunity to let her know that there is a realistic plan for dealing with climate change. If she were to get politically active or involved with like-minded groups, hope could be possible. (As young Greta Thunberg, the Swedish youth climate action leader, teaches us, “Where there is no action, there is no hope, but where there is action, hope is everywhere.”)
So, what does a psychiatrist need to know about the Green New Deal?
It is essentially a broad legislative conceptual agenda with wide-ranging implications. The resolution has growing support in Congress. Its scope has been compared to the 1960s moon landing or the New Deal that helped this nation come out of the Great Depression. The primary goal is to bring the United States to 100% sustainable clean energy by 2030. It also proposes to help those most vulnerable to the stresses of climate change, such as “indigenous communities, communities of color, migrant communities, deinstitutionalized communities, depopulated communities, the poor, lower income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth.” Our patient population reflects many of those cohorts and will likely be helped directly by this ambitious agenda.
Specifically, the Green New Deal would transition the United States from fossil fuel dependence to clean energy sources, such as solar and wind power, upgrade the power grid, refurbish and retrofit buildings to become sustainable and energy efficient, overhaul transportation systems, and promote the transition to electric vehicles and high-speed rail. This transition of the infrastructure and economy will, in turn, create millions of good jobs, including meaningful and rewarding work for workers and communities transitioning away from fossil fuel industry–related activities.
The Green New Deal is intended to address the reality and risks of climate change. The World Health Organization has deemed climate change the greatest public health threat of the 21st century. Consider the following ominous developments:
The current atmospheric CO2 level is 415 parts per million and rising, an increase from preindustrial levels of 278 ppm. Earthworms have now expanded their territory to include boreal forests near the Arctic, munching the foot-thick organic forest floor, potentially releasing much more CO2. Permafrost is melting near the Arctic, as is sea ice, reducing the amount of solar radiation reflected back to space. Perversely and ironically, the loss of sea ice is touted by some climate deniers as an opportunity for expanded oil and gas exploration in the Arctic.
Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and duration. Record-setting hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, heat waves, and wildfires are becoming the “new normal,” except for the fact that they are expected to continue worsening.
If the United States continues business as usual without addressing our climate trajectory, there will be dire consequences for all future generations. Without serious efforts to combat global warming, a 4- to 5-degree Celsius increase by the end of the century is likely. This would be catastrophic, leading to the collapse of the ice sheets, massive coastal inundation, unrelenting heat waves, wildfires beyond imagination, severe droughts, starvation, immense storms, and vast areas of the earth becoming uninhabitable.
It is time for the United States to join the rest of the world in dealing with global warming. The nations of the earth need to unite for the common good and to save our planet. The Green New Deal would represent a major step in that direction and would certainly help our patients to have more meaningful, hopeful, and healthier lives.
Dr. Peterson is assistant clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at Georgetown University in Washington. He is an active member of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance and the Caucus on Climate Change and Mental Health at the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Peterson changed key facts about the patient’s story to protect her confidentiality.